NZ Landlord Notice Periods 2026: Every Deadline You Need to Know

How much notice does a landlord have to give in New Zealand? It depends on the tenancy type, the reason for ending it, and the delivery method. The rules changed significantly on 30 January 2025 when the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2024 came into force. Here's the current position.

Landlord Notice Periods Summary

For comparison, a tenant ending a periodic tenancy needs to give just 21 calendar days' notice with no reason required.

What Changed on 30 January 2025

Between February 2021 and January 2025, landlords couldn't give a no-cause notice at all — every termination needed a specific statutory ground. The 2024 Amendment Act restored:

• The 90-day no-cause notice for periodic tenancies
• The 42-day notice for sale, owner move-in, and employee housing (previously these required longer periods)
• The landlord's right to end a fixed-term tenancy at expiry without specifying grounds (notice within the 90-to-21-day window)

These changes apply to all notices served on or after 30 January 2025, regardless of when the tenancy agreement was signed.

Why the Notice Period Is Longer Than You Think

The statutory notice period (90, 42, or 14 days) doesn't start when you write the notice. It starts the calendar day after the tenant is deemed to have received it. Deemed receipt depends on how you deliver the notice:

Working days are Monday–Friday, excluding public holidays and your regional anniversary day.

Practical impact: If you post a 90-day notice on a Friday, the four working-day service allowance spans the following Monday through Thursday (weekends excluded). Deemed receipt is Thursday. Day one of the 90 calendar days is Friday. You need to account for up to 4 extra working days on top of the 90 calendar days when planning your timeline.

Fixed-Term Notice Window

Fixed-term tenancies have their own timing rule. Under Section 60A, if you want the tenancy to end when the fixed term expires (instead of rolling over into a periodic tenancy), you must serve notice:

• No earlier than 90 days before the expiry date
• No later than 21 days before the expiry date

The notice itself doesn't need to specify a reason. But timing is everything — serve it 20 days before expiry and it's invalid. Serve it 91 days before and it's too early. The window is strict.

If you miss the 21-day deadline, the fixed term automatically converts to a periodic tenancy on the day after expiry. You'd then need a separate 90-day (or 42-day) notice to end the now-periodic tenancy.

The 14-Day Breach Notice

For tenant breaches (rent arrears, property damage, unauthorized occupants), Section 56 allows a 14-calendar-day notice to remedy. The tenant gets 14 days from deemed receipt to fix the problem. If they don't, your next step is the Tenancy Tribunal — you can't end the tenancy yourself based on an unresolved breach notice.

For rent arrears specifically, the notice is Form T135. For other breaches, use Form T136. Both are available free from Tenancy Services.

Planning Your Timeline

For a 90-day notice posted by mail, you could be looking at 94+ calendar days from posting to the earliest lawful termination date (4 working days for deemed receipt, then 90 calendar days). For a 42-day notice placed in the letterbox, plan for 44+ calendar days.

If you're selling and working against a settlement date, these extra days matter. Calculate backwards from your required vacant possession date to determine the latest you can serve notice.

Our Ending a Tenancy in New Zealand guide includes date-calculation worksheets for every delivery method, so you can work out your exact timeline before serving notice.

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